Explore the basic elements of vector graphics and find out how to use the powerful drawing tools in Illustrator CC.
- [Voiceover] Hello and welcome to Illustrator CC Essential Training. My name is Justin Seeley, and I'm a staff author here at Lynda.com. In this course, I'm going to start you off slow by going through some of the basics of Illustrator like creating documents for print and web projects, and we'll also dive into creating shapes like rectangles and circles. Once we've got those basics taken care of, we'll jump right into the fun stuff like creating complex shapes using Illustrator's Shape Builder tool. I'll also be walking you through working with bitmap images in Illustrator as well, and I'll go through my personal workflow for tracing both photos and line art using the Image Trace panel.
Finally, we'll go through outputting your artwork for both print and web. And I'll also show you how to use your Illustrator artwork in other Creative Cloud applications like Photoshop and InDesign. In short, this course is a soup to nuts overview of all things Illustrator. And by the end, you should have all the tools and knowledge you need to create rich and engaging artwork using this application. So if you're ready, let's jump right in and get started.
Author
Updated
10/13/2014Released
6/17/2013First, author Justin Seeley explains the basic elements that make up vector graphics—paths, strokes, and fills—and shows how to use each of the program's powerful drawing tools. Then he shows how to create documents and liven up a project with color, plus build complex shapes from simple paths and trace bitmap images and line art. The course also explores the benefits of using layers and symbols, and shows how to edit text, draw in perspective, and much more. The final chapter explains how to output your work in several formats and use Illustrator files in Photoshop and InDesign.
- Understanding vector graphics
- Creating documents for different contexts
- Organizing artwork with rulers, guides, and grids
- Making detailed selections
- Resizing, rotating, and transforming objects
- Creating swatches and color libraries
- Working with fills and strokes
- Using the Shape Builder and Image Trace features
- Drawing and editing paths
- Understanding the difference between point and area type
- Adjusting the appearance of artwork with live effects
- Printing, saving, and exporting artwork
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
Q: This course was updated on 6/18/2014. What changed?
A: We revised chapters covering paths, working with type, and the Pen tool. These updates reflect changes to the Pen and Pencil tool behavior in the June 2014 update to Illustrator CC. These tools now offer greater fidelity and previews. We also added one new video, "Packaging your artwork for commercial print," which covers the enhanced packaging workflow.
Q: This course was updated on 10/13/2014. What changed?
A: We added tutorials to cover the most exciting changes to Illustrator CC 2014: the Join and Curvature tools and the all-new Design Libraries. These new movies are marked with the "(CC 2014.1)" tag.
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Adobe Illustrator
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What is Illustrator?1m 14s
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Introduction
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Welcome59s
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1. Getting Started
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Setting preferences8m 12s
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Touring the interface6m 37s
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Exploring the panels3m 18s
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2. Working with Documents
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Creating files for print3m 24s
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Creating files for the web3m 29s
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Navigating within a document5m 21s
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Using preview modes3m 10s
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Locking and hiding artwork3m 43s
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Creating and using artboards7m 44s
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3. Selecting and Transforming Objects
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Using the Magic Wand tool5m 45s
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Using the Lasso tool4m 9s
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Grouping objects3m 7s
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Using isolation mode4m 48s
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Resizing your artwork3m 55s
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Rotating objects2m 10s
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4. Working with Color
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RGB vs. CMYK1m 46s
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Creating spot colors3m 40s
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Using the swatch groups2m 33s
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Working with color libraries3m 17s
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Importing swatches4m 4s
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Using the Color Guide panel3m 51s
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5. Working with Fills and Strokes
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Working with fills4m 58s
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Working with strokes8m 46s
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Using width profiles3m 31s
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Outlining strokes2m 5s
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6. Working with Paths
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Understanding paths2m 34s
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Understanding anchor points3m 43s
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Open and closed paths4m 21s
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Joining and averaging paths3m 57s
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7. Creating Shapes
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Understanding drawing modes4m 23s
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Creating compound paths5m 15s
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Creating compound shapes4m 11s
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8. Don't Be Afraid of the Pen Tool
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Exploring the Pen tool2m 53s
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Drawing straight lines4m 33s
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Drawing simple curves3m 26s
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9. Using Type in Illustrator
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Adjusting your type settings6m 22s
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Creating point and area text2m 54s
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Basic text editing2m 30s
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Creating threaded text3m 44s
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Creating text on a path4m 22s
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Converting text into paths2m 20s
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Using Typekit desktop fonts2m 54s
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10. Adjusting Appearance
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Applying multiple fills3m 1s
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Applying multiple strokes4m 20s
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11. Working with Layers
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Exploring the Layers panel4m 18s
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Creating and editing layers3m 27s
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Using the Layers panel menu2m 42s
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12. Working with Images
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Working with the Links panel3m 37s
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Cropping images with a mask2m 56s
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Tracing photographs7m 29s
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Tracing line art3m 48s
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Converting pixels to paths2m 39s
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13. Creating and Using Symbols
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What are symbols?2m 45s
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Using prebuilt symbols3m 3s
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Using the Symbol Sprayer4m 19s
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Creating new symbols3m 50s
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Breaking the symbol link3m 19s
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Redefining symbols2m 5s
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14. Drawing in Perspective
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Defining a perspective grid4m 29s
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Applying artwork to the grid3m 51s
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15. Printing, Saving, and Exporting
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Printing your artwork3m 58s
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Saving your artwork1m 31s
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Saving templates4m 19s
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Creating PDF files5m 23s
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Saving for the web4m 46s
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Conclusion
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Goodbye1m 12s
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Video: Welcome